After planning the structure of the course it is time to fill in the details including developing the sessions, writing the exam questions, and recruiting the faculty, among other tasks.

Content

Textbooks

Many blocks use textbooks for pre-class required and/or optional reading. Go to the UW Health Sciences Library online resources for Foundations to see the current textbooks listed for your block.

Due to requirements at some regional sites, textbooks need to be ordered starting in January for the following academic year that starts in September (so some later blocks will need to determine textbooks over a year in advance).

Block Directors will receive a textbook survey in January. If any changes are made to the previous year’s textbooks, including changing to a new edition, Block Directors must provide:

• • The author(s) name(s)
  • The textbook’s full title
  • The edition #
  • The publisher
  • The year published
  • The ISBN-10 number

Library Resources will determine if the library can access or purchase the textbook. Chapters in textbooks that are available electronically in library resources can be linked directly on Canvas. 

Responsibilities:  

Block Directors determine what textbooks they will use for the following academic year and complete the textbook survey sent out in January. 

Block Admins ensure the textbooks are listed in the Syllabus and on the library resources page correctly.

Accessibility

Coming Soon

Content Development & Materials Due Date

The bulk of the work in the 3 months prior to the start of the block is the development of the session content. This includes both in-class content and out-of-class materials. (Out-of-class time should amount to no more than 1.5 hours per 1 hour in-class session.) all materials are due no later than 5 weeks before the start of the block.

Block Directors have a wide variety of tools available to help them convey information to the students. This includes creating:  

• • Power Points 
  • Course Packs 
  • Videos 
  • Pressbooks (Talk with somalt@uw.edu for more information)
  • Case studies
  • Drug lists 
  • Participation assignments
  • AMBOSS (contact foundmed@uw.edu for more info)

and any other content needed to teach the course.  

Block Directors also complete the templated materials to introduce the course to the students such as:  

• • The Syllabus 
  • Block introduction 
  • Assessment introduction

etc.

Work with the Block Admin to learn content naming conventions, how to store the content on SharePoint, and getting content posted to Canvas. 

Responsibilities: 

Block Directors are responsible for the creation of all content for the block. Content creation can be delegated to the regional site leads and content specialists.

Block Admins assist Block Directors with naming conventions and storing content. They are responsible for posting and/or linking content to Canvas.

Change Management

All block level objectives,  session learning objectives, the schedule (outside of an exam window), and the Assessment Plan should be finalized before the Lockdown meeting. If changes must be made after the Lockdown meeting, then the Change Management Process goes into effect:

• • All change management requests should be filed by block or site admins, unless an exception has been granted for a specific faculty member to file their own requests (ask admins for access to the form if this is the case).
  • Block Directors/Site Leads should provide the following information to the admins:
    • Source of change: Block, Thread, or Themes.
    • The nature of the change: BLO, schedule, SLO, session title, delivery method, or assessment.
    • And a detailed description of the change.
  • Changes initiated by a Thread/Theme Director or a Site Lead must be approved by the Block Director. Changes initiated by a Site Lead must also get the Site Foundation Dean’s approval.
  • The admin will run the request through the change management process asking for approval from SomAlt, Somtests, SomCMS, and the Dean of Basic Sciences.
  • Once approved the stakeholders can be informed and the changes can be implemented across platforms like the calendar (Elentra), Canvas, and SLO mapping to exams.

Regional change management is facilitated by Site Admins, with final documentation routed through the Block Admin for completion. 

Responsibilities:  

Block Directors determine the nature and level of the change in consultation with Site Leads and provide that information to the block admins. They address any changes to content or scheduling faculty. 

Block Admins:

• • Complete the Change Request Form
  • Email it to the appropriate stakeholders for approval
  • Document its approval for LCME compliance
  • Inform the regions and all other stakeholders of the changes
  • Implement any changes necessary on Elentra, the schedule, Canvas, and/or the SLO-to-exam mapping document

Small Groups

Many blocks use small group sessions (also called Case-Based Learning sessions) to have more interactive learning sessions with fewer students. Many are case-based and student led.

Students are required to attend small groups. Some blocks use participation assignments or IRATs to assess student participation in small groups. 

Responsibilities: 

Block Directors are responsible for:

• • Creating the content for small groups
  • Recruiting and training the faculty
  • Communicating with the block admin regarding the number of small groups, the schedule, and faculty assignments 

Block Admins and Site Admins (in their respective regions):

• • Schedule the rooms for small groups
  • Can help assign students to each group
  • Make sure that the small group schedule is uploaded to Elentra
  • Add links to the schedule and group assignments on Canvas
  • Communicate the information to small group faculty

AMBOSS

AMBOSS is a suite of study tools students have access to through the school of Medicine.  One feature is multiple choice questions that integrate different subjects and are clinically focused. Block directors and faculty handpick question sets for each block exam to help students study for the block and become familiar with Step 1 questions. Contact foundmed@uw.edu for access to AMBOSS and contact somalt@uw.edu for training on how to set up question sets.

Responsibilities: 

Block Directors create or designate faculty content experts to create AMBOSS question sets for each block exam.

Block Admins post the question sets on Canvas.

Assessment

Developing Exams

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) and essay questions for exams are developed in partnership with the SomTests team. Drafts of all exams are due 1 week before the Block starts.

Block Directors and Regional Site Leads have access to private block assessment folders where they can submit questions and see previous question Item pools. Please contact somtests@uw.edu for in-depth training on the assessment process and for any help with submitting questions and finalizing exams. 

Responsibilities:  

Block Directors work with regional site leads and SomTests to develop significantly challenging exam questions. Drafts of all exams should be finalized 1 week prior to the start of the block. 

Block Admins: none 

Participation Assignments and IRATS

Participation Assignments are a set of reflection questions students complete after a session to indicate their participation in the session. These are most often used with small group and Themes sessions (sample Participation Assignment from I&I). (We are not allowed to grade based on attendance)

IRATs (Individual Readiness Assessment Tests) are typically completed after a session and are meant to test student knowledge of particular content. They usually contain MCQs (multiple choice questions) but can contain essay questions as well (sample IRAT from FMR).

Both participation assignments and IRATs can be graded or ungraded. If graded, they typically amount to no more than 5% of the final grade. Both are set up on Canvas as quizzes. 

Responsibilities: 

Block Directors:

• • Create the participation assignment or IRAT content
  • Add the grading for them to the Assessment Plan
  • Get approval at lockdown. 

Block Admins set up the Participation Assignment or IRAT on Canvas (as a quiz), using the content from Block Directors, and create the grading policy in the Canvas gradebook based on the Assessment Plan. 

Faculty Recruitment

Block Directors ensure that all faculty are recruited to teach all lectures, small group sessions, and labs.

Many blocks have new content and may have faculty that are teaching for the first time or who only teach one session (such as small groups). There are many ways to help faculty get oriented to the material and to the teaching method you expect. They include having an orientation meeting prior to the start of the block (where teaching methods, content, Canvas, classroom technologies, etc. are reviewed. Work with the admin to set this up), session plans, notes on session PowerPoints, faculty guides, faculty versions of materials, and skull sessions. 

Responsibilities: 

Block Directors are responsible for:

• Recruiting all faculty that teach at their site and ensuring Site Leads recruit faculty in the regions.
• Working with the Threads and Theme leads to make sure faculty are recruited for Threads and Themes sessions/labs at their site.
• Assisting regional site leads when they have difficulty recruiting faculty (e.g. offering Zoom-in sessions or even sending faculty to a region)
• Communicating faculty assignments to the Block Admin before the Elentra event upload deadline (5 weeks before the start of the block) – this ensures students know who is teaching and faculty receive evaluations.
• Orienting faculty to the Block’s material and teaching methods.

Block Admins and Site Admins (in their respective regions) are responsible for uploading faculty assignments to Elentra, communicating room assignments to faculty, and helping to schedule orientation meetings and skull sessions.